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How did Your Hydrangeas Bloom this Year?

So how did your Hydrangeas bloom this year?

One the most common questions I get, is "Why won't my Hydrangea bloom." Of course they're talking about the beautiful species called Hydrangea macrophylla (Big Leaf Hydrangea).

.... [Not sure what type of Hydrangea you have? Click here]

This plant is extremely popular because it is the most colorful of all the species. This plant can be categorized into two main groupings: Mopheads (snowballs) and Lacecaps. The Mopheads are large round clusters of sterile flowers and the lacecaps are flat heads composed of both fertile and sterile flowers. The mopheads are the most popular because we tend to love the gaudy. The lacecaps are gaining in popularity and are considered by many, including myself, to be even more beautiful because of their delicate looking nature.

The key message here is that Hydrangea macrophylla is it sets its flower buds in the fall when night temperature fall below 60F/16C. Thus the flower buds must survive the winter if they are to mature into big beautiful flowers the following summer. [We call this blooming on old wood.] This is the crux of the problem - a hard winter, an early fall freeze, a late spring freeze, or untimely pruning will damage the flower buds and result in a loss of flowers.

So what is a person to do if they want to be successful with Hydrangea?

1) Understand how and when to prune

Big Leaf Hydrangea does not require much pruning once established, but proper pruning is critical if expect to see flowers.

The best time is in early to mid-July. Prune back any non-flower stems back to about six inches from the ground. This helps to produce short stems which keeps the next crop of flower buds close to the ground where they can be more easily protected from winter damage. It is critical that you cease pruning by the end of July. This allows time for the new flower buds to form and harden off prior to winter.

2) Shut the plants down before winter

Hydrangeas will continue to grow as long as there is ample water, fertilizer and warm weather. Later season growth is tender growth and more prone to winter injury, so useful to shut the growth down before winter comes. In late summer and fall, stop fertilizing and cut back on the water. Don't worry if the plant looks severely wilted, just provide enough water for the plant to survive. This will slow down the growth, help to induce flower bud formation and make the plant less susceptible to an early freeze.

3) Mulch and Protect

In late fall, mulch the base of your plant with six to ten inches of bark or peat moss. This will protect the buds on the short stems (the ones you pruned in July). Apply the mulch after the onset of cold weather but before the temperature falls below the teens. This mulch will be removed or spread out in the spring after the danger of frost has past.

4) Grow Varieties that Bloom on both Old Wood and New wood [rebloomers]

Within the last ten years, varieties have been developed that make buds in both the fall [typical], and during the summer [atypical]. Or putting it another way, they flower on both old and new wood. This means that even if the flower buds are injured in the winter, new buds and flower will form the next summer. This is great news for those of us who live in cold climates.

The cultivars 'Endless Summer', Let’s Dance Moonlight, Let’s Dance Starlight, and 'Forever and Ever' have the ability to bloom on old and new wood alike. These are great selections for the Midwest where it is hard to get Hydrangea to bloom. 'Endless Summer' was the first rebloomer to hit the market, while the Let's Dance series is the newest generation of rebloomers. The Let's Dance series has superior flower color, overall substance and thicker, glossier leaves. They are also less likely to die to the ground in the winter.

Now I know that many people were disappointed with the Endless Summer Hydrangeas this year.

We had a long warm spell in late winter followed by weeks of freezing weather that knocked many Hydrangeas back to the ground. As a result, the old wood buds were killed, and we lost the early-season flowers, even on the rebloomers.

Keep in mind that, even with these new varieties, you get a much better flower display if the old wood buds survive the winter. Sure, if your plants die back to the ground in the winter, you will still get flowers, but they appear later in the season and there are typically fewer flowers overall. So - it still pays to prune properly, keep the buds close to the ground and protect these buds with mulch.

- Another Tip for Rebloomers Like Endless Summer -

If your Endless Summer dies back to the ground in the winter, forcing growth will deliver more flowers and sooner. Endless Summer and other rebloomers have to put on a certain amount of new growth before they will make new buds and flower. So it pays to give these plants extra fertilizer and water to push the growth. Miracle Grow once a week after any danger of frost does the job.

For some people, rebloomers are not the best choice.

If you live in a mild climate where big leaf hydrangea blooms reliably there is no advantage in growing rebloomers. You lucky people have a wonderful array of varieties to choose from, many with superior foliage and flowers. For example - consider the new dwarf cultivars sold under the CITY LINE series. These compact plants form a neat compact plant that is covered with blooms. They also have very vivid flower colors.

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(If you live in a very cold area consider Hydrangea paniculata (Limelight, Pinky Winly, Little Lamb and Quick Fire) and Hydrangea arborescens (Invincibelle Spirit and Incrediball. There are many great new vareities and they are pretty much fail proof.)

----------------Back to Hydrangea macrophylla

Flower color - How to change Flower Color

Another interesting attribute of this plant is that its flower color may change depending on soil p.H.. It is not the p.H. itself that changes the color, but it is the availability of aluminum ions that directs the color. Aluminium has greater availability in acid soils thus the blooms turn blue in acid soils. If the soil is either basic [alkaline] or high in phosphorous, the aluminium is tied up and flowers tend to be pink. The degree of color change is dependent upon the amount of aluminum ions available and the cultivar itself. It should be noted that if you are growing in a container your soil mix you may not have much aluminum availability even at low p.H. levels. Aluminum sulfate treatments would then become necessary to get blue flowers. If you fertilize your plants be aware that you will tie up the aluminum with high levels of phosphorous.

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New Plants at the Mid-Am Tradeshow

I just got back from a week in Chicago at the Mid-Am nursery tradeshow. Nursery tradeshows are a great place to get a feel for the nursery and gardening industry, to see what’s new and to discover new trends. Here are a few of the highlights of the show and a taste of what’s to come in terms of new plants.

One of the highlights of the show was the appearance of Dutch nurseryman, and My Monet Weigela originator Bert Verhoef. Bert was at the show signing posters of his new 18” tall, green, cream and pink Weigela. It was interesting to see people lining up to get their personally signed poster, and to hear their glowing comments of how the plant has brightened the home garden. I was able to procure some of these beautiful posters and will send a signed copy to the first five people (North America addresses only) that send in a request.

In terms of new plants here are some of my favorites:

Reblooming Hydrangea continue to hit the market. Blushing Bride Hydrangea is a new addition to the ‘Endless Summer’ line. This plant has white flowers that are tinged with pink. Personally I like this plant better than the original Endless Summer. The white flowers combine well with other plants in the garden, and the plants themselves are not as tall as the original.

I am particularly excited about Let’s Dance Hydrangea ‘Moonlight and Let’s Dance ‘Starlight; two new rebloomers with large mop-head and lace-cap blooms respectively. I had better be excited about these plants, because the Let’s Dance series comes out of my personal breeding program (full disclosure). My breeding goal was to develop rebloomers with more intense flower color and improved foliage quality. I think I’ve achieved my goals and this is particularly exciting because Endless Summer is just the starting point in the reinvention of the Hydrangea macrophylla.

Two new yellow leafed Barberry were launched at the Mid-Am; Sunjoy ‘Gold Beret’ is a new dwarf mounded plant that stands less than 12” in height, and Sunjoy ‘Gold Pillar’ is new upright, columnar plant with bright yellow foliage. Both plants are noted for superior sun burn resistance. Gold Beret was developed by Stanley Talago of the US and Gold Pillar is a new introduction out of Poland.

When looking for the best new perennials Dan Heims at Terra Nova is always a must visit during tradeshow season. The plant breeding at Terra Nova goes well beyond Heuchera. I was particularly excited about his new, zone 6 hardy Begonia ‘Metallic Mist’ that looks a lot like a tender Rex Begonia, and his new intense orange coneflower, Echinacea ‘Tiki Torch’. While there are many new Echinacea hybrids on the market this beauty is the result of a wide cross recovered through embryo rescue. In layman’s terms this means it will not set seed and become weedy in the garden like other Echinacea hybrids. I’ve always hated unwanted Echinacea seedlings in my garden and Dan has solved the problem and delivered really exceptional color.

All I can say is thank goodness I’m in the plant business. There is always something new and better each year. And what beautiful products we have; products that make the world a better place, one yard at a time.

Why Madonna Loathes Hydrangeas

Madonna was caught on camera emphatically stating that she “loathes” hydrangeas. And while some have criticized her for her harsh words, I don’t begrudge her. After all, she was only expressing a view shared by millions of people. Yes, millions for people loathe hydrangea. So how can it be that a beautiful flowering shrub evokes such disdain? It’s simple, really. For years, Martha Stewart and her East Coast friends have shown us an endless stream of outrageously beautiful hydrangeas, covered with big, colorful blooms - but they failed to tell us something important. We need to move to Cape Cod to get them to flower. That’s right, you have to move to the coast to get hydrangeas to bloom like they do in the magazines! That’s because these bigleaf hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophylla, have evolved in the mild maritime climate of coastal Japan. These plants detest the harsh continental climate of the Midwest with its wacky spring weather that ping-pongs between 85 and 20 degrees; their flower buds swell up and are zapped like flies in an electric bug killer. The dirty little secret is that we don’t live in Japan, or Cape Cod, or the Hamptons, and our climate is perfectly suited for killing hydrangea flower buds. This is why Madonna is so pissed off! She’s sick and tired of being teased with the promise of beautiful, bodacious blooms only to be fooled, faked, and frustrated by season after season of flowerless foliage.

Some would argue that the new reblooming hydrangeas have solved the problem. Sure, the industry has selected and hybridized remontant (reblooming) varieties such as Endless Summer®, Forever & Ever®, Mini Penny® and the remarkable Let’s Dance® series, but have we really solved the problem? Are people suddenly happy with their hydrangeas? Has Madonna changed her tune? No. Not really, because while all of these hydrangeas rebloom to some degree or another, they typically don’t live up to expectations.

The problem remains that our crazy spring weather kills the old-wood flower buds (or stems) of these new varieties just as well as it killed the buds (and stems) of the old varieties. Unless we have an unusually mild spring or lots of snow-cover, the flower buds are killed and you don’t get the reblooming flowers until late summer or fall. And this sparse, late season flower display looks nothing like the June blooms they get in Cape Cod. No wonder Madonna loathes hydrangea: she’s from Michigan, not the East Coast!

What Madonna doesn’t know (and Martha never tells us) is that there are other species of hydrangea that are adapted to our crazy climate and that flower reliably every year. My dear Madonna, here are some hydrangeas that will satisfy all your needs and change the way you feel about this shrub:

Limelight Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) is hardy from Maine to Mobile, Alabama. It even thrives in Madonna’s hometown of Saginaw, Michigan. The flowers emerge in mid-summer a rich lime-green, lighten as the summer progresses, then turn shades of pink and green in autumn. And just like you, this plant is adored by millions of raving fans. If you want a smaller version of the same plant, try Little Lime™ Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’ ppaf). It has all the same wonderful attributes of ‘Limelight,’ but at about one-third the size.

Madonna, since you sang “Incredible” (and dress the way you do), you are certain to fall in love with a hydrangea called Incrediball® (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Abetwo’).

You’ll love its big, sexy blooms and stiff stems. This improved ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea is rugged, fool-proof and will flower for “Everybody.” You’ll appreciate its artistic flower coloration that starts out bright green, matures to pure white and then ages to a rich kelly-green. The show begins in mid-summer and last through winter as the flowers remain attractive even after the snow flies. This super hardy hydrangea thrives in full sun and is pretty much guaranteed to flower every year.

I think you should also grow Invincibelle® Spirit II Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘NCHA2’). This plant is a game changer, just like you. It’s the very first pink-flowered form of the ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea, which in layman’s terms means you’ll get lots of colorful pink blooms, year after year, even in chilly zone 3. A single mature plant can produce well over 100 blooms. If you want even more flowers, just prune off the old ones and watch as every stem flowers a second time! No other hydrangea gives a repeat performance like this one. Seriously, have you ever given an encore like that?

Madonna, I know that you’re a big supporter of breasts and breast cancer research. So you’ll appreciate that Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea supports an important cause. Each plant sold raises a $1.00 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. As part of the national Invincibelle® Spirit Campaign, garden centers have joined the “Celebration” by hosting “Invincibelle Spirit Pink Days” to raise additional funds for breast cancer research. How can you loathe a hydrangea that has generated over $200,000 for the cause? I urge you to join the campaign, visit http://invincibellespirit.net to learn more.

The only hydrangea that helps find a cure.

Now I don’t want to preach, but come on, Madonna! From one Michigander to another, please “Don’t Tell Me” you loathe hydrangeas anymore. Get “Into The Groove” and “You’ll See” that if you just “Promise To Try” these hydrangeas they’ll “Open Your Heart.” They’re “True Blue” plants - so give hydrangeas just “One More Chance.”

Reblooming Flowerings Shrubs: Part II

Typically perennials and shrubs bloom for three to four weeks, perhaps longer depending upon the weather. So utilizing plants that bloom for a long period of time, or that rebloom, is a real bonus. Once I started going through my pictures I was surprised at how many shrubs fit the bill. Certainly enough for a nursery or garden center to sell a rebloooming shrub program.

This weeks installment is made up entirely of Hydrangea. I sometimes get tired or writing about Hydrangea but it's difficult not to; it's such a vast and diverse genera. Additionally there is a lot of great breeding going on in Hydrangea.

Endless Summer Hydrangea is one of the most successful plant introductions in history. A brilliant marketing campaign has made this plant a household name. It has also piqued peoples interest in other reblooming Hydrangea and shrubs.

Forever and Ever TM Hydrangea comes from Europe. I've not seen all the plants in the collection but the red and pink mopheads look very good. Nice full flowers and dark foliage.

Let's DanceTM Moonlight Hydrangea is a personal favorite as I hybridized the plant. I'm still breeding Hydrangea and my goals are to improve the quality of the flowers (color and substance), thicker, darker leaves, wilt resistance and better stem hardiness.

On a side note, I got an email from someone that complained that I show and write about too many Spring Meadow plants and show nothing interesting or new that is not sold by Spring Meadow. I though I would respond by saying that I don't hide the fact I work for Spring Meadow Nursery - just read my profile. Additionally we grow thousands of different types of plants, primarily shrubs, but also vines and smaller trees. So it stands to reason I write about what I know best. If there are breeders or growers out there that have new plants and would like me to write about them - send me plants so I can grow them and know them.

Incincibelle TM Spirit Hydrangea is a new pink form of Hydrangea arborescens. After growing the plant I was surprised to learn that in addition to being the first pink mophead form of Hydrangea arborescens it was also a strong rebloomer. You can expect to see this Hydrangea in garden centers in the fall of 2009 or spring of 2010. Developed by Dr. Tom Ranney this shrub is very hardy, blooms on new wood (meaning that flowering is very reliable) and flowers from early summer until frost.

What's New and Exciting?

The question I get all the time is "What's new and exciting?" But with so many plants in development it's hard to pick just a few. So I typically respond with varieties that are looking good at the moment.

After a heavy rain this morning the sun came out and I had a quick walk through the garden. I just got back from the California Pack Trials so a lot has changed while I was gone. The magnolias are looking great. I have a yellow variety called 'Butterflies' that is just stunning right now. 'Goldfinch' is just about to break bud. Everything is so early this year, it's hard to believe it is early April.

The Show Off forsythias are still looking great. It's a plant that gets a reaction from everyone that sees them in bloom. The flowers are just packed up and down the stem. No one believes me when I tell them how much I like this series. I kid you not these plants are special, especially the little Show Off Sugar Baby which is about the height of a daffodil.

Show Off Forsythia

Show Off Sugar Baby

'Amy Cotta', a new dwarf version of PJM Rhododendron, is favorite of mine. This cute little Rhododendron has smaller leaves than PJM and is a bright ball of purple when in flower.

Rhododendron 'Amy Cotta'

Quince is in peak here in Michigan. The Double Take series is really looking great. This year I noticed that the orange opens first, followed by Scarlet and then Pink. The thing I like about these plants is that the large blooms last much longer than those of the typical quince. Growers like that too. I think it's because they have so many petals.

Double Take Orange Storm

Double Take Scarlet Storm

Double Take Pink Storm

The shrubs at the Pact Trials got me excited. We never seem to get very much press on our flowering shrubs, so I guess I'll have to do it myself. Here are a few that caught my eye.

Let's Dance Big Easy is one of my favorites, but as the breeder I am a bit biased. It has really big flowers that glow as they open with shades of green and pink then mature to a rich pink. People are going to be amazed by the size of these blooms.

Let's Dance Big Easy

Tuff Stuff Hydrangea was the surprise hit of the Proven Winners Shrub display. It is a new form of Hydrangea serrata a species which is native to the colder regions of Japan, Korea and China. The contrasting colors and the doubled flowers give this plant a lot of charm.

Tuff Stuff Hydrangea

I am a big fan of Chris Warner's Oso Easy Roses. Oso Easy Mango Salsa is the newest addition to the series. Its flowers emerge orange, and then change to pink to give you a festive happy feeling. Our Canadian customers claim they are hardy to zone 3, but I'll list them zone 4 until we have a few more years of data to better judge them. Regardless, they are carefree, low growing roses that give you lots of color with very little effort.

Oso Easy Mago Salsa Rose

I really like the Bloom-A-Thon azaleas. While you can get them in red, pink and lavender, I prefer Bloom-A-Thon White. The pure white flowers contrast nicely against the dark green, glossy foliage. It's the most compact plant in this series of continuous flowering azaleas.

Bloom-A-Thon White Azalea

So there you have it. Check back later and I'll let you know what else is new and exciting in the world of flowering shrubs.

One Sweet Clethra

Clethra has long been one of my favorite plants. I’m a sucker for fragrance and few plants pack more olfactory punch than Summer Sweet (Clethra alnifolia). If you’re a subscriber to my blog then you know that I’ve been breeding shrubs for about eight years now. The first plant introduced out of our breeding program was Summer Wine Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). Since then I’ve introduced two new reblooming Hydrangea called Let’s Dance Moonlight and Let’s Dance Starlight, a compact Hypericum called Sunny Boulevard, Chardonnay Pearls Deutzia, Fine Wine Weigela, Ghost Weigela, and Incrediball Hydrangea. Vanilla Spice™ (Clethra alnifolia ‘Caleb’) is one of our newest introductions and at the moment is only available at wholesale as small liners. If all goes well you will see it at retail in the spring of 2010. Vanilla Spice, like all Clethra, has wonderfully fragrant flowers in late summer. Its foliage is dark, glossy and very attractive. Most remarkably this plant has flowers that are larger than typical. Each flower is roughly 30 to 50% larger than normal.

Vanilla Spice® Clethra

This native beauty is best when planted in a location where you can best enjoy its wonderful fragrance. I like to plant Clethra is large blocks to increase the fragrance potential. Ruby Spice is a special cultivar with reddish-pink flowers, so Vanilla Spice with its white flowers makes a nice companion for this favorite. While white flowers are not as exciting dark pink flowers, I am partial to white flowers. They simply show up better than red in garden, especially in the evening when I am typically in the garden.

Stay tuned, or better yet subscribe to my blog and have it emailed every time I post (Just click here). I will be sharing more new introductions over the next few posts.

A Walk Through Our Test Garden.

One of my favorite things about working at Spring Meadow is spending time in our test gardens. Dale Deppe, the owner of the nursery, does all the work of planting, pruning and weeding and I get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Here are a few plants that are looking especially nice right now.

Lo & Behold 'Purple Haze'

Lo & Behold 'Purple Haze' Buddleia is a wonderful spreading form of Butterfly bush. It is a seedless plant and as a result it flowers continuously from mid-summer until frost. The Lo & Behold series has been approved for sales in Oregon where Buddleia davidii has been banned.

Vanilla Spice Clethra

Vanilla Spice Clethra is one of my favorite summer plants. The fragrance is remarkable and the flowers are especially large. The foliage is dark, glossy green even on non-acidic soils.

Azurri Satin Hibiscus

Azurri Satin Hibiscus is looking lovely right now. This beauty was developed in Belgium and its noted for being the only seedless, blue-flowered Rose of Sharon.

Let's Dance Moonlight

This bed of Let's Dance Moonlight has flowered every year for the last four years since we planted them. A remarkable feat in Michigan.

Little Lime Hydrangea

This is Zoe, the nursery dog. Here she is giving her approval of Little Lime Hydrangea. She likes this selection because stays small and holds it blooms up so nicely.

Good Vibrations Gold

I don't normally get excited about junipers, but I'm crazy for Good Vibrations Gold. This soft, low growing, native evergreen looks especially good planted next to the heat tolerant Luguna Lobelia.

A Peak Into the Future

One of the fun things about working at a wholesale, liner (starter plant) nursery is that you get to see into the future. That's because the new plant varieties we sell today don't hit retail stores until after our customer's grow them a year or two into larger retail-sized plants. So when I analyse our current orders, I get a glimpse of what will be in garden centers in a year or two.

Would you like to see into the future? Here is a top ten countdown of our top selling new plants. Click on the picture if you want to learn more about the plant.